February 14, 1978, Forty Years Ago: Morarji Desai In Sydney

Morarji Desai said there was now a greater sense of equality among small nations and the search was on for a consensus. People were now demanding peace and disarmament and the major powers — the United States and the Soviet Union.

Prime Minister Morarji Desai told the first meeting of 12 Commonwealth Heads of Government in Sydney that there was reason to be optimistic about various international issues. He said there was now a greater sense of equality among small nations and the search was on for a consensus. People were now demanding peace and disarmament and the major powers — the United States and the Soviet Union.

Anand Marg In Focus

Security Measures at the Sydney Hilton Hotel, venue of the conference of Commonwealth Heads of Government, have been tightened following the bomb blast that claimed four lives. The police said they are searching for a West Australian jail escapee, John Robert Chalmers, 28, who was sentenced to imprisonment for blowing up a woodchip terminal north of Perth. Chalmers had bomb-making experience and was reported to have been involved with the Anand Marg, which has been blamed for assaults on Indian personnel in Australia and elsewhere.

Janata Party President Chandra Sekhar sustained minor head injuries when a mob of Congress supporters attacked his car with lathis and stones in Akhluj, Maharashtra’s

Swami’s Airstrip

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal H Moolgavkar, testified before the Shah Commission that no pressure had been brought to bear on him or the Air Force to grant approval to Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari’s airstrip at Mantalai, Jammu and Kashmir. He said the defence ministry, however, had been keen that the airstrip be allowed. Though the Air Force had twice rejected this proposal, the proposal was reconsidered in view of the fact it had now come from the ministry. So it laid stringent conditions which would ensure security
of the defence installations as well as aircraft in the area.